Forces of Nature
by SivanShemesh
Summary: When the dormant Mount Doom from Mordor begins waking, Ithilien finds itself in danger.


Title: Forces of Nature 1/2

Author: Sivan Shemesh

Beta: oli

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Rate: PG-13

Warning: Angst/drama

Summary: When the dormant Mount Doom from Mordor begins waking, Ithilien finds itself in danger.

A/N: Was supposed to be written for Teitho Theme: The Four Elements, but I blamed my network in time of storm, which I could not upload, my story on time.

A/N2: The bunny came as a reminder about the end of ROTK movie, love the movie, see what kind of charming bunny it gives me.

A/N3: It was supposed to be one-shot story. But my beta is right. evil grin

**Gondor**

**Ithilien**

Ithilien, the land of beauty where Lord Legolas arrived with some of his people, and with his father's leave, he tried to restore devastated forests of that war-ravaged land. He founded an Elf-colony in the fair forest of Ithilien in Gondor, not seemingly aware of the dormant volcano that was becoming active.

As Prince Legolas woke and began to admire the view of the nature that surrounded him, he felt the ground under him shake and stopped, and then begin shaking again

Legolas did not know what happened, but his heart told him that he needed to warn Éowyn and Faramir, as a great danger that he feared might be on the way.

He could see bubbles showing in the Anduin River, causing thoughts to race in his mind and Legolas knew that he should act fast before something worst appears and destroys the beauty that he tried to restore after the defeat of Sauron.

The air was hot and the ground kept trembling causing the elf to lose his balance and fall onto the green ground. He needed to run fast as he could to warn at least Faramir and Éowyn, he knew that he should do it, but Legolas could not stay in an upright position as the ground shook, and all hope seemed lost to Legolas, as the Forces of Nature seemed to be the one winning right now.

It seemed that Mount Doom had become active, and now Ithilien stood in the path of burning debris, and Legolas as he raised his head, could see the mountain where the volcano laid… if the sea is not going to kill him the lava will.

Legolas heard from Sam and Frodo as the eagles saved them from the latest explode that Mount Doom had while the Ring had been destroyed. For some reason, it seemed to be active again, and Legolas did not like it at all, as the fight for his life had begun.

Legolas started to run over to the first horse that he saw, knew that he should try and save his friends, the human comes first, he started to search for them, and although he could smell the burning, he knew that he might not succeed but he at least had to try.

He spotted them near the home that they had built.

"Lord Legolas…" Faramir started to greet him, but was cut off by the elf.

"You must take this horse, and ride toward Minas Tirith, it is the only hope that your life would be safe, try to take your people with you." Legolas told him with urgency in his voice, his eyes locked with Faramir.

Faramir nodded, and then he motioned to his wife, once the elf dismounted off the horse, he climbed after her.

He started to call to his men and women that came with him to settle in the beautiful land, and called them to gather everything before the worst would happen.

After everyone gathered everything they had, the group started riding toward Minas Tirith.

Faramir turned around with a heavy heart and a glimpse of guilt of leaving the elf alone in the danger, the man noticed the red path, the smell of something burning filled his heart with horror of what would happen for those who will stay to face it.

_Mount Doom throwing Lave cascade…flowing another wave of lava toward Ithilien_…

**On the way to Minas Tirith…**

Faramir did not know if he made the ride decision, not knowing if it was wise to let the elf deal with the nature alone, not wanting him to die like this, he knew that Legolas was the king's best friend. His heart aches, still not knowing if he acted right.

Éowyn could feel that her husband was tense, as his voice during the trip to Minas Tirith was quiet, too quiet, and it bothered her.

"What is it that makes your heart be in so much trouble?" she asked.

"Do you think that I made the right decision? Do you think it was wise to leave Legolas and his elves alone to deal with the wrath of Mount Doom? What will happen if the Prince dies?" Faramir asked, as his heart aches.

Éowyn sighed heavily, did not know what she was supposed to answer to her husband, and then she answered with a shaking voice, "Then, we should ride hard toward Minas Tirith, and let the king and the queen know, Legolas might need their help."

Faramir sighed, and thanked his wife for helping though it did not ease the pain in his heart.

"I hope that we will get back to Ithilien and save those who stay bravely and saved us." Faramir whispered.

'I hope so too.' Éowyn prayed too.

**While in Minas Tirith…**

Guards were starting to open the tall iron gates, as a soldier above the wall, noticed horses coming ahead.

One of the guards mounted upon his horse, and started to ride every level until he arrived to the palace, letting his king and queen know about the guests that they have.

Éowyn stopped the horse when they entered Minas Tirith, leaving more space for their peoples to gather, while Faramir dismounted from the horse, and checking to see if all his people had entered before the gates were closed.

Many minutes later, they could see the king and the queen approach, wondering what had happened for them to arrive.

"What is it?" Queen Arwen asked as she approached them.

"Prince Legolas is in danger, and there is a heavy smell of burning like the air was on fire." Faramir was the one to answer, hoping that his king will do something quickly.

"What could we do against the fire?" Arwen asked as she faced her husband.

"Anything, just to not lose hope," Elessar replied to her, and then he added, "Knowing Legolas, he will sacrifice himself to save everyone, and I do not wish to lose him in the battle against nature."

"We will come with you, my king." Faramir said to him.

Elessar nodded.

'We need the eagles… it would help if the eagles would come… if only Gandalf could send them it might help…' Elessar prayed.

The king sighed heavily, as his mind raced for any solution before they arrive at Ithilien, one that would help all the elves left dealing with it.

"Elessar, we should ride." Arwen's words cut his thoughts.

"With full force," the king agreed with her, and then he pointed toward the steward, "You may stay with your people, gather some fresh food and have some sleep, until our return."

Faramir stared at his wife, noticing the worry that sparkled from her eyes, he decided otherwise, "We ride with you, though I will not hold my people's hands, if some wished to stay, they may, I am not going to force them to act otherwise."

"So be it." Elessar said and gave a smile of gratitude to his friend, and then he mounted the horse his guard held beside him.

The queen mounted upon her white cream horse.

Both the king and the queen took the lead as they left their home, riding toward Ithilien; hoping to save it and Legolas, not wanting to lose there closest friend.

They rode hard and fast.

They could see the smoke rising, feel the heat with every step closer they took, the burning smell made their eyes water, they needed something to cover their nose and mouth, so as to make it easier to breathe.

Aragorn used the canteen that was beside the saddle and wet his cloth, putting the sleeve near to his mouth and nose, and breathed easier, he then turned around, and showed it to his wife and she in turn showed it to the other riders with her.

As they arrived in Ithilien, the sight and the burning smell that still making their eyes water and they saw some elves that seemed determined to stay within their Ithilien homes.

It seemed that the lava had stopped at the river, but the whole beauty seemed corrupt by it.

The sight was horrible, and Aragorn wished his friend's life safe, not wishing to see his ashen body into the gray black ground.

They kept riding until they saw an axe. This axe was too familiar to Aragorn he saw it in the war.

'Gimli, I do hope that nothing had happened.' Aragorn whispered, not wishing to fear the worst until he would see otherwise.

"Gimli!" he started to call, hoping at least that he was all right, after seeing nothing in sight though the axe was buried into the tree, and just stayed there, with no dwarf around.

It was rare to see the dwarf without his axes, and Aragorn started to feel uneasy about it.

"What is it, my love?" Arwen asked, noticing too the axe, and saw the fear in her husband's face.

"Gimli is here, but I do not see him or Legolas, and it is rarely to see Gimli without his axes." Elessar explained to her.

They kept riding on their horses, until they could see a shape of a form lying in the burnt ground.

The king dismounted first, as fear tingled in his body.

He knelt beside the form, and with a shaking hand, he turned to check for any pulse, finding it weak, he moved his hands to turn the form, and discovered beneath another form.

Elessar sighed in relief to see Gimli, but then he was surprised as he moved him a bit and found Legolas's form unmoving.

"Gimli, are you all right?" Aragorn asked, but received no answer.

He turned around to the company, and asked for canteens, "I need some water here, and help."

Soon a group of men and several surviving elves surrounded the unmoving forms of elf and dwarf.

Aragorn soaked his hands with water, and then he dropped water upon Gimli and Legolas' faces, hoped to see them stir.

Gimli was the first to stir, and found himself surrounded by his friends, and then panic took over him as he remembered Legolas.

"Legolas… we need to save him…" he mumbled and thrashed around.

Elessar sighed heavily, and then he said softly to the dwarf, "I believe that you are the one who did the heroic stuff, as I found you lying upon him."

"Is he all right?" Gimli asked, and then he turned around only to find the lifeless form of his friend.

"You have to save him!" Gimli tried to raise his voice, but he had taken a lot of smoke into his lungs, making him weak, until he passed out.

"What had happened Gimli?" the man had asked his friend, while searching for a pulse, only to find it pulsing weakly, and not one movement from the elf.

Elessar feared that he was going to lose his best friend, he let the water from the canteen fall upon the form of his friend, letting the water slip toward the elf's dry lips.

Gimli was not able to answer as darkness filled his mind, as he passed out.

"We need to heal them, and they both need air, fresh air!" the king started to order, and with the help of their friends, they moved the elf and the dwarf upon the wagon they had in the rear.

Faramir still felt guilty, feeling that he was the one that should have stayed behind, and not the long last friend of the king, he should be riding with the king, though Faramir wondered as well, why Gimli was there to.

Arwen turned her horse toward her husband whom laid his eyes upon his friend who still laid in the wagon, and asked him, "What do you think happened? Though I did believe that Gimli was on his way to the Glittering Caves."

"I thought so too, but neither might believe why he came back and saving the elf of whatever happened."

"Then we should put them in the healers' room soon." The sincerity in her voice, made her husband ride ahead faster toward the opened gates, and to order the guards to come and help.

As Faramir saw the king ride ahead he joined him, wanting to do something to ease the guilt that he felt, as he still thought that he had made the wrong decision, and now Legolas was the one whom paid the price for it.

Once they arrived into the gates and rode each level till they got to the White Tree, Faramir urged the king to let him take some assistance in the healing process, he wanted to help saving the elf's life as much as the king.

Elessar ordered to the maids to get ready wet cloths, while he would remove his friend's clothing, hoping the wounds would not grow any infection.

The king and Faramir undressed the elf and then they started to clean the dark swollen body, they both noticed the closing eyes of the elf, and the king hoped that he had not lost his best friend.

With help of his wife, king Elessar let the elf drink the herbal tea that he made, hoping it will heal him inside and would give him some source of energy and would ease the pain that he suffered from.

Then did the same with Gimli with hope to hear of what had happened to them.

Few hours later, Gimli stirred. They could hear Gimli growling as he woke up, Aragorn hurried to the dwarf's side with a glass of water.

Gimli moved his head slowly, he still felt mild dizziness, though as he tried to move, his muscles aches, as pain grew in his body.

"Easy my friend." Aragorn called softly at him.

"Aragorn?" Gimli asked, seemed confused, "Where am I?"

"You are at Minas Tirith, my friend," the king had explained, and then he added with a question, "Can you remember what happened?"

Gimli growled. He did remember what had happened, as he glanced at the unmoving form of his elf friend, laying in the next bed, his body covered with bandages, and his skin though was pale as a white sheet.

"How is he?" Gimli asked, as his eyes locked upon the elf's form.

"Fighting." It was the only word that left the king's lips.

"Can you tell us of what had happened?" Arwen asked the dwarf, though not wishing to make him feel uncomfortable.

Gimli took a deep breath before he started to talk.

"I was on my way to the Glittering Caves, when I smelled the heavy smoke. I turned around and noticed the fire catching everything, and I moved toward, seeking for Legolas, knowing that he might do something foolish, I knew that I should find him, but I did not.

I left the horse that Legolas gave me in the line of the trees, and then I moved my axe toward the broken tree, trying to cut the tree down on the path of the fire, trying to stop it from continuing this disaster. I started to cut, but stopped as I saw this foolish elf," Gimli motioned at Legolas's paler form before he added while his eyes locked with concern at the elf, "Moving toward the path of the lava, trying to stop it by himself… and after that, I am afraid that I have no memory of what had happened, until I saw your faces."

Elessar sighed heavily, though he knew that he should be grateful to Gimli for saving his best friend from grave danger he walked himself into.

"Thank you." He simply said to him, and Gimli could see the trust and friendship that sparkled in the man's hazel eyes.

Gimli nodded to the man, and then returned his glance toward the elf, and growled at him, "You better wake up so I can kill you myself for the foolish act you did laddie."

"I believe that their would be a line for it," Faramir said, and by that he caught everyone attention, "What?" he gave them his innocent feature, and then he added, "He was the one that risked himself to save mine and my people lives, and did not let me help, just send me away for safety, while I should be there to help him with the nature that wished to destroy everything that we tried to re-build."

"You have a point there, my friend." Aragorn said with agreement.

"You also did good by saving his life, and all of us are in gratitude." Arwen told to the dwarf with warm smile on her face.

"I did what a friend would do, and I knew that if it happened in reversal, he would do the same thing." Gimli thanked her, and stared to all of them.

"You are a great friend, Gimli son of Glóin that I am honored to know, and I believe that _our_ common friend would agree." The king told to the dwarf with large smile.

"He better." Gimli said with a taunting smile, while he wished that the elf would wake up and heal fast.

9


End file.
